How to Become a Straight-a Student

Capture Big Ideas by Using the Question/Evidence/Conclusion Structure (Location 923)

Take Smart Notes in Technical Courses (Where’s the Problem?) (Location 1025)

First priority: Record the problem statement and answer. (Location 1047)

Second priority: Question the confusing. (Location 1053)

Third priority: Record the steps of the sample problem. (Location 1060)

Final priority: Annotate the steps. (Location 1065)

Work Constantly Most college students depend on “day-before” assignment planning, meaning they never start an assignment until the day before it’s due. This might be the simplest scheduling decision, but it creates many problems. (Location 1076)

Don’t do all of your reading. Colleges should mount this slogan on big bronze plaques and hang them up in every dorm room on campus—if every college freshman knew this secret, it would probably prevent a lot of unnecessary panic attacks. The hard part, of course, is deciding what reading is important and what can be skipped. (Location 1103)

In a course with no favored sources, readings that directly address the specific topic of the lecture act as the favored sources for the day. Treat the rest as supplemental. (Location 1180)

Smart students understand that if you’re studying hard, then you’ve done something wrong. Preparing for a test should not be painful. And it should not require a lot of time. (Location 1277)

Prepare Memorization Aids Both technical and nontechnical courses sometimes require you to do some memorization—formulas, chemical equations, artwork, dates, or chronologies—and the most efficient way to memorize this information is by using flash cards. (Location 1332)

Don’t try to organize and study in the same day. (Location 1339)

Trust the Quiz-and-Recall Method Whether it’s philosophy or calculus, the most effective way to imprint a concept is to first review it and then try to explain it, unaided, in your own words. (Location 1353)

you first need to construct a practice quiz for each chapter in your study guide. (Location 1362)

Here’s the important part: Don’t do this only in your head! (Location 1372)

Next, put little check marks on your quizzes next to any questions that you had trouble answering. Glance through your study guide to remind yourself of the right answers to these questions. Take a quick break. (Location 1383)

Memorize over Time (Location 1417)

down the (Location 1676)

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